Mindfulness During Times of Uncertainty

“We sail within a vast sphere, ever drifting in uncertainty, driven from end to end.” – Blaise Pascal

It is no secret that the world is grappling with an incredible amount of stress in the face of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During times of intense stress it’s more important than ever to be mindful of our mental, physical, and emotional well-being by practicing healthy coping skills. Mindfulness meditation has been shown to have a wide variety of benefits, many of which are likely to be especially helpful during times of uncertainty, anxiety, or mental fatigue.

In some ways, this is akin to working out or training for an athletic event. I say this because adopting a regular mindfulness practice makes it that much easier to implement and draw strength during times when you need it the most. In this sense, regular meditation can effectively “train” you for periods of time when you don’t necessarily have the luxury of carving out blocks of time in your schedule to practice… because you need support now.

How are you taking care of yourself during this time of global uncertainty? It is completely understandable and reasonable to feel heightened levels of anxiety and stress, which may exacerbate any underlying mental or physical conditions with which you may be grappling. It’s never too late to put a self-care plan into place to safeguard against the adverse effects of unexpected stressors. Consider what has worked for you in the past. How can you implement some of those same strategies in the present?

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Featured image: sunlight comes by M.G. Kafkas / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

About Laura K. Schenck, Ph.D., LPC

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. Some of my academic interests include: Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness, stress reduction, work/life balance, mood disorders, identity development, supervision & training, and self-care.

1 Comment

  1. Mary Schenck-Ross on March 21, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    I appreciated your reminder that it is never too late to put a self-care plan in place. Thank you!

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